NMBM’s mayor ‘anxiously waiting’ for stricter regulations

Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Acting Mayor Thsonono Buyeye is “anxiously waiting” for the Presidency to announce stricter regulations to halt rising Covid-19 figures in the municipality.

The metro has reached a “desperate situation”, with 103 people dying in the province over the last seven days, Buyeye said.

The mayor has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to take swift action as Covid-19 infections continue to rise in the province after submissions were made to Ramaphosa on Wednesday.

“If it means people must not move around as a matter of saving lives, I’m sure that is the route that we will take. Most of that will come when the president speaks to us,” he said.

“We are still the epicentre of Covid-19 in the country and the numbers continue to rise and the deaths are also on the increase. We continue to monitor the situation.”

Shane Brown, Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Disaster Management chairperson, said there were currently 3 500 active cases in the metro. Of these, 109 people are in intensive care.

Buyeye confirmed the municipality has appealed to the Eastern Cape government to have the curfew adjusted back to 22:00, instead of midnight, and said engagements were under way with liquor traders and tavern owners.

He added that the municipality had received a formal submission from the Liquor Board suggesting that trading days be limited to Monday to Thursday, with outlets closing over weekends.

“Taverns and shebeens must only sell take-aways. That is what they have put forward, and we have submitted, and are awaiting a response. If it is not regulated, it becomes difficult to enforce because [they] might open and trade and there will be no regulation that says they can’t do that.”

Engagements have also taken place with local traditional leaders around cancelling the December initiation season.

“However, the local traditional leaders are opposed to that. They say [the entire province must not proceed or] the boys will likely run to other parts of the province and undergo the tradition there. [That] is not solving the problem as we do not want to expose other parts of the province and country to the virus,” he said.

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